


A New Nein

by conceptstage



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 04:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17440217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conceptstage/pseuds/conceptstage
Summary: Caleb manages to change the past but finds himself missing his family.





	A New Nein

Caleb stepped into the tavern and took in the familiar smell of booze and sweat. The second thing to hit him were the sounds. One particular laugh that he would recognize from a mile away. He followed the laughter with his eyes and landed on Beauregard, her head tipped back and mirth spilling from her mouth like ale from the cup that was shaking in her hand. 

“Oh fuck,” she exclaimed, reaching up to wipe her eyes. “Damn, Jes, is that true?”

He looked to Jester next. She looked delighted. Not from the joke or the story, per say, she got her joy from making Beau laugh. Fjord walked up to their table with arms full of ale. “Who got the milk?” he asked, teasing lilt in his voice. Jester pouted and took the milk from him. 

“Don't be a dick.”

His heart stopped when Molly walked up with Yasha behind him. “Got us rooms. Fjord, I have a friend coming over. You’re welcome to join, as always, but given that you never take me up on it, I thought I’d give you time to find somewhere else to sleep.”

Jester giggled. “Fjord, you can have a sleepover with Beau, Yasha, and me again.”

Fjord nodded and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Thanks, Jes.”

Caleb took a deep breath and then started walking over towards them. Beau caught his eyes first and she tensed, giving him a curious look. “Yo,” she said. “Can we help you?”

“Ah, I’m sorry to bother you,” he stuttered. Everyone else turned to look at him. It hurt to not see recognition in their eyes. “I’m looking for someone. A gnome girl named Nott.”

Beau and Fjord exchanged a glance and shrugged. Beau shook her head. “Sorry, man, don’t know anyone by that name.”

Jester gasped. “Oh, that's so sad! You’ve lost your very best friend. Do you want our help to find them?”

Molly and Beau both made a noise. “I don’t-” Molly started at the same time Beau said “Jes, we can’t-”

Caleb nodded. “Actually, I could use some help if you wouldn’t mind. I can pay.”

“Look, dude,” Beau started, leaning back in her chair and propping her feet up on the table. “You seem very nice, but we don’t-” Caleb pulled a sack full of gold from his pocket and dropped it on the table by her foot. Her eyes widened and she looked at the others to see if they were seeing what she was seeing. No one moved and said anything for a few seconds and Beau finally cleared her throat. “Nott, you said? A halfling?”

“Nott the Brave. And actually, she’s a goblin, but most people get weird about that.”

Molly grinned at him and leaned against Yasha’s shoulder. “Oh, now it gets interesting. A missing goblin, a mysterious stranger.”

“Yeah,” Fjord said. “You haven’t told us your name yet.”

“I’m Caleb. Caleb Widogast.”

Fjord looked at the others for their opinions and then nodded. “Well, Caleb, I’m Fjord. Welcome to the team.”

For a half second he was jarred slightly when Fjord didn’t say ‘Welcome to the Mighty Nein’ but then, he wouldn’t, would he? Caleb was the one who had come up with that stupid, stupid name and they hadn’t met him yet.

“Do… Do you have a group name?” Please say no. Please say no. Maybe if they hadn’t settled on one yet he could somehow get them to pick The Mighty Nein down the road.

Jester frowned thoughtfully. “There are a few we’ve been throwing around, but none of them have seemed just right. We’ll pick one some day. It’ll be perfect.”

Good, good. He wouldn’t bring it up now, that would be weird, but maybe someday. “And what are the rest of your names?”

Jester grinned. “Oh yeah! I’m Jester. That's Mollymauk and Yasha.”

Molly grinned at him and held out his hand for Caleb to shake. “Molly to my friends.”

Caleb hesitated awkwardly, but took the hand and squeezed it gently. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, dropping the hand abruptly and staring at his shoes to hide his blush. It would take a while for Molly to fall in love with him again, but he couldn’t hold back his own feelings from showing on his face.

He glanced up to see a flirtatious grin on Molly’s face. “And you as well,” he said, purring a bit under his breath.

Beau rolled her eyes and threw a piece of bread at the purple tiefling’s head, flipping him off when he turned to glare at her. She smirked and turned back to the Caleb. “Beau.” The monk was watching him suspiciously but in his mind’s eye he saw what could be. Them both covered in a monster’s blood and bile, laughing their asses off together. Holding onto her shoulder with her rough, calloused hand laid comfortingly over his as he saw through Frumpkin’s eyes. Her voice breaking through the veil of death to try and bring him back from the other side. ‘You’re my brother’ her voice had whispered in the dark. ‘Fuck blood, you’re my brother.’ “So,” her real voice said, shaking him from his memory. “This goblin of yours, tell us about her. Where did you last see her?”

“Ah, I’ve never seen her but I last I knew she was… In jail.” 

Beau laughed out loud and he felt a little proud of that. From what he remembered she wasn’t quite so free with her laughter at this point. The group had only been together for a month or so. “My kind of goblin,” she said, picking the coins up off the table and fastening the purse to her belt. “I’m in. Anyone else?”

Jester nodded. “I’ll help you. I’ve never met a goblin. Is she very nice?” He remembered the sight of Jester carrying Nott on her shoulders, tossing up almonds into the air for Nott to catch with her mouth and then laughing so hard when one got caught in her nose that they fell to the ground. He remembered the sound of Nott’s quiet voice, whispering assurances to the little blue tiefling as she sobbed into her knees.

“She… can be. She’s a tough nut to crack. And she doesn’t actually know me, so she will be a little prickly.”

Fjord frowned. “Why are you spending so much money to save a goblin you don’t know?” Hearing him still faking Vandran’s accent kind of broke his heart. He thought about the man he had come to know behind the mask he wore. Thought about his laughter that was so full of joy he couldn’t keep it inside and he thought about that apology, so sorrowful that even Nott couldn’t stay angry at him.

“Call it… intuition.”

Yasha stepped up beside him and he jumped. He hadn’t even heard her move. “Can you see the future?” In his memory, he saw her kneeling at her wife’s grave, singing lovingly as she laid her book of flowers on top of the dirt. He remembered watching her learn to love again and couldn’t wait to see her smile through happy tears.

“I… I know some things about the future. I’m not a seer but I have some knowledge. And I can tell you right now that that goblin is important. There’s also a firbolg near Shady Creek that I’d like to find if you’re willing to help me further.” Caduceus and his dead people tea, his insight, and his warm hugs. Caleb had been surprised by just how much he missed him.

Molly grinned. “Well, I am fascinated. I’m in. You with me, darling?” he asked, turning to look at Yasha. Yasha nodded. 

Molly… It was hard not to run into his arms. He needed the man he loved right now, but the man he loved didn’t exist yet, not really. He thought of soft lips against his knuckles, a warm chest pressed against his back, sweet laughter that ruffled his hair.

Fjord sighed heavily. “Well, I guess I'll come along. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

Beau shrugged. “I’ve heard weirder shit. Alright, let’s go… break into jail I guess.”


End file.
